diff --git a/src/core/iomgr/wakeup_fd_pipe.c b/src/core/iomgr/wakeup_fd_pipe.c
index 80de181d9d1..40c27aca12b 100644
--- a/src/core/iomgr/wakeup_fd_pipe.c
+++ b/src/core/iomgr/wakeup_fd_pipe.c
@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@
 static void pipe_init(grpc_wakeup_fd* fd_info) {
   int pipefd[2];
   /* TODO(klempner): Make this nonfatal */
+  int r = pipe(pipefd);
+  if (0 != r) {
+    gpr_log(GPR_ERROR, "pipe creation failed (%d): %s", errno, strerror(errno));
+    abort();
+  }
   GPR_ASSERT(0 == pipe(pipefd));
   GPR_ASSERT(grpc_set_socket_nonblocking(pipefd[0], 1));
   GPR_ASSERT(grpc_set_socket_nonblocking(pipefd[1], 1));